Third-party delivery platforms continue to lead the way with new digital tools and bells and whistles for operator partners. DoorDash is at the front of the pack. Just over the past year, DoorDash made three acquisitions (including ad tech and customer relationship technology), released branded mobile app capabilities, and began partnering with a drone delivery service.
Now, the technology platform has announced new ecommerce platform updates, including a DoorDash-enabled loyalty program. But it is not the only delivery platform making waves in the software business: Uber Eats announced a partnership with fintech company Pipe to give operators access to growth capital, and Chowbus, which originally operated as a smaller delivery platform, has completely rebranded as a tech company for “culturally inspired” multiunit restaurants.
In other tech news this month, software company Qu has announced its foray into edge computing, which brings software out of the cloud and into a grounded source (like IoT-connected devices) to cut back on downtime.
Tech Tracker rounds up what’s happening in the technology sector of the restaurant industry, including news from restaurants, vendors, digital platforms, and third-party delivery companies. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know and why:
DoorDash updates ecommerce features
DoorDash announced this month that the company is expanding its ecommerce platform’s features with the goal of, “helping restaurants grow direct sales and deepen customer relationships across their own channels.”
The basic ecommerce platform is free (free custom website) and goes up to $249 a month for added features.
New features include:
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An omnichannel loyalty program — customers can earn rewards with a restaurant whether they order from a restaurant’s own app or website, or through the DoorDash Marketplace, with no POS integration required. Operators can customize the loyalty experience by choosing visit- or spend-based rewards
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A free DoorDash-powered website — The company said it’s offering a customized, SEO-optimized and can have a smart “Order Now” button that connects to the DoorDash ordering platform
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New CRM tools to create personalized email and SMS marketing campaigns
Chowbus rebrands as tech platform for cultural minority restaurants
Chowbus used to be an emerging delivery platform for Asian restaurants and has since expanded to become more of an all-in-one technology platform. The company recently announced a $1 million investment and has now rebranded as the “go-to technology partner for culturally inspired, multi-location restaurants scaling across the U.S.”
The $1 million investment went into creating a hardware voucher program, which offers $2,500 in restaurant equipment support to 400 emerging minority-owned restaurants.
Moving forward, Chowbus will be focused on businesses that are too complex for entry-level tools but underserved by platforms designed for national chains.
Tools will include smart POS systems, self-ordering kiosks, and data tools.
Uber Eats integrates with fintech platform Pipe
Uber Eats and Pipe announced a new partnership that will offer loans to restaurants. Operators will be able to access capital directly through their Uber Eats Manager app.
Here’s how it works: Uber will share restaurant sales data with Pipe, which can then in turn make loan offers to participating restaurants based on this information, though nothing is guaranteed.
The program is currently in pilot phase and full rollout will begin this month on the Uber Eats platform.
Qu launches edge computing, updates kiosks with loyalty support
Qu has introduced “Qu Business Edge” (Qube), a system that processes data directly in restaurants rather than relying on cloud servers. This edge computing approach allows restaurants to continue operating during internet outages because it stores data on-site, enabling restaurants to take orders, process payments, and manage kitchen displays whether on- or offline. The platform also embeds AI capabilities directly into restaurant locations, with intelligent upselling suggestions and equipment monitoring.
Qu also rolled out kiosk upgrades this month with new options like cross-sells, loyalty prompts, and loyalty support that are designed to drive check averages.
Thanx creates AI agents for personalized marketing
Thanx has launched ThanxAI, a suite of autonomous AI tools designed to reduce manual marketing tasks for restaurants. The company differentiates its new tool from basic AI content generators by claiming that agentic tools can independently execute complex marketing strategies with minimal human oversight.
The first release, available this month, creates targeted customer segments using natural language prompts, drawing from over 200 customer attributes to build marketing lists.
“Picture this: your back-of-house inventory agent flags that strawberries are about to expire, and your front-of-house loyalty agent instantly creates a free strawberry milkshake reward, estimates redemptions based on historical data, builds a right-sized audience for each store, drafts the promotion for approval, and adjusts the economics for campaign reporting taking into account the expiring inventory,” Zach Goldstein Thanx CEO, said.
Future product releases include an “Operator Layer” in Q4 2025 to handle rewards setup and campaign management, followed by a “Knowledge Layer” in Q1 2026 that will integrate with restaurants’ tech stacks and leverage historical purchase data.
Serve Robotics announces second recent acquisition
Serve Robotics has acquired Phantom Auto and its Swedish subsidiary Voysys for $5.75 million, adding crucial technology to its sidewalk delivery robots. Voysys specializes in technology that allows near-instant video transmission between robots and remote operators. This will allegedly make delivery robots more reliable in busy urban areas.
The technology works by compressing video files to transmit them faster and using multiple internet connections simultaneously to prevent disconnections.
For restaurants deploying delivery robots, this means fewer service interruptions and more consistent deliveries.
Dlivrd Technologies acquires Omnicart
Dlivrd Technologies has acquired Omnicart’s platform to improve its off-premises delivery management system. The technology connects ordering systems with delivery tracking in a single platform, addressing a common pain point for restaurants handling high-value deliveries.
This acquisition eliminates the need for operators to use separate systems for order management and delivery execution.
Omnicart will continue operating independently as “Omnirev,” pivoting to develop AI-driven customer relationship management software for restaurants. Meanwhile, Dlivrd will incorporate Omnicart’s delivery management technology into its existing services.
Contact Joanna at [email protected]
